Design Lives Here

The Design Lives Here initiative is an innovative partnership between WQED Multimedia, the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, MSA, and Glaxo Smith Kline Consumer Healthcare and American Bridge. Design Lives Here is an education outreach program that promotes learning about engineering via interactive teaching, mentoring, and challenge activities. The project was piloted during the 2009-2010 school year; educators from more than 30 schools received training, representing an educational impact on approximately 600 students. Five schools were invited to participate in a special engineering event held in May 2010, which was attended by 70 students in grades five through 11. Watch some highlights of the event:

After the overwhelming success of last year's Design Lives Here events, WQED is excited to expand the initiative into more schools, create opportunities throughout the year for student learning, and create a web-based informational infrastructure to foster engagement and interest in engineering. Participating schools will hold monthly engineering qualifying challenges that incorporate Design Squad curriculum and use materials provided by WQED. The initiative will culminate in an end-of-school-year student Challenge Event, a day of engineering fun, mentorship opportunities, viewings of the television show, and more, all in the historic Fred Rogers Studio at WQED's Oakland headquarters.